IT was a dream season for the boys from the northern beaches, with Des HaslerÃ¢Â€Â™s men claiming rugby leagueÃ¢Â€Â™s top prize for the first time since 1996.

The 2008 premiers started the season in inauspicious fashion, losing their first two games and copping a lot of heat from fans and the media for their treatment of former captain Micheal Monaghan Ã¢Â€Â“ who they released at the end of 2007 to play for English club Warrington.

However as the season developed, and combinations grew, ManlyÃ¢Â€Â™s credentials started to strengthen Ã¢Â€Â“ although it was hard to tell, with a prickly Hasler consistently managing to keep his team flying Ã¢Â€Âœunder the radarÃ¢Â€Â right up until the grand final.

Teams these days cannot win the competition without their fair share of good fortune Ã¢Â€Â“ and Manly received that in spadesÃ¢Â€Â¦ a dream injury run throughout the year (the Sea Eagles used just 27 players in 2008, less than all but three clubs in the NRL) meant that the players were fresh and firing in the games that counted.
Where They ExcelledÃ¢Â€Â¦ In the finals. Consistent throughout the year, Manly really came to the fore once September rolled around, and the greatest credit should go to coach Hasler for timing the Sea EaglesÃ¢Â€Â™ run to perfection. Ending the finals series as premiers, with a points-for-and-against of 108 to just 12 across their three finals matches, Manly dominated in finals footy this year. On the field Manly held the upper hand in almost all of the major statistical markers Ã¢Â€Â“ they made more metres, scored more tries, had more try assists, more line-breaksÃ¢Â€Â¦they even had the most one-on-one strips!

Where They StruggledÃ¢Â€Â¦ The Sea Eagles conceded more penalties (179) than any team other than Melbourne, but other than that it is hard to find weakness in a team that lost just seven games all year and won the grand final by a record margin. That said, ManlyÃ¢Â€Â™s slow start (they lost their opening two matches) to the Centenary Season indicated they were going to struggle to replace Michael Monaghan. Now as premiers they will start to feel the pinch as the salary cap starts to do some damage. The real struggle will come in the next 12 months as several stars come off contract and CEO Grant Mayer attempts to keep as much of the premiership-winning group intact as possible.

Missing In ActionÃ¢Â€Â¦ After a promising start to the year, Michael Bani fell off the radar quickly. Injured in round six, Bani never returned to first grade Ã¢Â€Â“ instead picking up various injuries including a potentially life-threatening blood clot and a shoulder ailment, and spent the rest of his time in the NSW Cup. In his absence David Williams shot to superstardom. BaniÃ¢Â€Â™s year was certainly one heÃ¢Â€Â™ll be keen to put behind him.

Turning PointÃ¢Â€Â¦ The loss to South Sydney in round 23. It was a match which shamed ManlyÃ¢Â€Â™s oft-praised defence (the Rabbitohs scored 40 points) and kicked them into gear before the finals series. Des Hasler tore strips off his men post-match, where he reinforced the message that they had a premiership-winning squad Ã¢Â€Â“ but only if they worked hard and applied themselves. Manly didnÃ¢Â€Â™t lose another game and their defence wouldnÃ¢Â€Â™t concede more than 16 points Ã¢Â€Â“ total Ã¢Â€Â“ for the rest of the year!

Best GamesÃ¢Â€Â¦ For starters it is hard to go past the grand final. A polished 80-minute performance where Manly didnÃ¢Â€Â™t let up and the footballing planets aligned allowing every pass to stick, every kick to land where they wanted and ensured every tackle hurt. Other notable victories would include the round 18 thrashing of Cronulla plus both victories over Parramatta. The Cronulla clash was billed as a top-of-the-table blockbuster, but a flawless first half from Manly ended any hope of a real contest, with the Sea Eagles running out 34-6 victors. Both of ManlyÃ¢Â€Â™s 2008 victories over the Eels were special because injuries mid-game forced the lesser lights into action. In round six they finished the game with nobody on the bench, while later in the year Matt Orford was ruled out before kick-off and Jamie Lyon lasted less than 20 minutes before their team-mates dug deep for a stirring win.

Worst GamesÃ¢Â€Â¦ After a slow start to the year, where they lost back-to-back games against Cronulla and then Newcastle, Manly looked decidedly shaky. They produced their worst game of the year a few weeks later when they were comprehensively thrashed 26-4 at Olympic Park in the grand final rematch Ã¢Â€Â“ a game which strengthened MelbourneÃ¢Â€Â™s mental stranglehold on the Sea Eagles. The meek performance against South Sydney in round 23 was also very much a lacklustre effort, but if Paul Keating, rather than Des Hasler, had been ManlyÃ¢Â€Â™s coach at the time he would have explained it as the loss Manly had to have!
Hold Your Head HighÃ¢Â€Â¦ Steve Menzies. A stellar career ended in the ideal fashion when the veteran scored a try in ManlyÃ¢Â€Â™s record-breaking grand final win over Melbourne. It was a fairytale moment that drew a smile from even the odd neutral fan at ANZ Stadium Ã¢Â€Â“ even if Manly is the club youÃ¢Â€Â™re meant to hate, Ã¢Â€Â˜the BeaverÃ¢Â€Â™ usually managed to sidestep the hatred as if he was brushing through flimsy defences on his way to the try line.

ConclusionÃ¢Â€Â¦ A resounding A+ result of a year for the team from SydneyÃ¢Â€Â™s northern peninsula. Five years ago it appeared unlikely that Manly would even have a team in the NRL by the end of the decade, let alone have added a seventh premiership win to the clubÃ¢Â€Â™s history, but Des Hasler and his band of hard-working men certainly enjoyed proving their critics wrong. History shows that going Ã¢Â€Âœback-to-backÃ¢Â€Â is incredibly difficult (no team has done it since Brisbane in 1992/93), but HaslerÃ¢Â€Â™s renowned work ethic ensures that Manly will give it a crack.